1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bait casting reel, and more particularly to a bait casting reel having a spool detaching mechanism to easily attach or detach a spool to or from the reel
2. Description of the Related Art
Bait casting reels are generally constructed in such a way that a pinion is rotated with a gear train driven in response to rotation of a handle, and a spool is rotated in the winding direction by transmitting the rotating force of the pinion to a spool shaft.
Such a bait casting reel comprises a driving shaft provided in one side plate of a red frame thereof and rotated in response to the rotation of the handle, and a plurality of gears meshed with a drive gear. The reel frame is provided with on the other side plate with a spool support. An example of such a bait casting reel having a spool support is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility-Model Publication Nos. Hei 4-38267, Hei 5-60271, Hei 7-17064 and Japanese Utility-Model Publication No. Hei 8-10279.
According to the bait casting reel disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Utility-Model Publication No. Hei 8-10279, the spool shaft provided in one side plate of the reel is rotatably supported by the bearing portion of the spool support inserted to be attachable and detachable to and from an opening formed on the one side plate of the reel. The bait casting reel comprises a proper number of engaging shoulders protruded radially and outwardly from an inner periphery of the opening, an engaging pin inserted in the side plate of the reel, the front end of which is biased toward the diametrical center of the opening by a spring to freely protrude from the inner periphery of the opening, an engaging edge protruded from the outer periphery of the spool support and having a cutout to receive the engaging shoulder when the support is inserted into the opening, and latch/unlatch recesses into which the engaging pin is inserted. The cutout is formed so that the engaging shoulder can be inserted and passed through.
With the construction the engaging edge can be engaged with the engaging shoulder to latch the spool support when the engaging pin is fitted into the latch recess, while the cutout of the engaging edge can be associated with the engaging shoulder to unlatch the spool support when the engaging pin is fitted into the unlatch recess.
The bait casting reel disclosed in Japanese Utility-Model Publication No. Hei 8-10279 has a problem that the axial length of the spool support is increased because the engaging edge with the cutout, and the latch and unlatch recesses must be formed in series in the axial direction on the same peripheral line of the spool support.